laureatedvd.com

[Stefan Andersson]

Dear Mr. Barnes,
I fully appreciate and support your film restoration and DVD editorship of film classics. Re-visiting the site I find you now co-operate with Universal. So, off the top of my head, please let me make a few release suggestions. (Sorry if I get some titles mixed up with another company).

Some Universal titles that would be attractive on DVD are
THE SUSPECT - an excellent Charles Laughton film noir
CRISS CROSS - first-class Burt Lancaster/Siodmak noir
A Douglas Sirk Collection:
MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION
TARNISHED ANGELS
A TIME TO LOVE AND A TIME TO DIE
IMITATION OF LIFE

From the Republic catalogue:
CRY DANGER - excellent Dick Powell film noir
SPLIT SECOND - a thriller directed by Dick Powell
HE RAN ALL THE WAY - John Garfield

LOLA MONTES is a first-rate French melodrama by the masterful director Max Ophuls. Its presentation of a courtesan´s tragic life in 1830´s Germany and U S A is way ahead of its time, partly because of the virtuoso decor, camerawork and colour schemes, partly because of
the many-layered story, combining a wistful romantic image of a bygone time with a pre-feminist exploration of an exploited woman. The stylized images and radical gender politics of the film anticipate the style of German director Fassbinder and several of his melodramas about women victimized by stuffy bourgeois societies. Criterion has released the 1968 restoration in the US. It was owned by Janus Films and ran 110 minutes. French language. This is the only edition available on DVD that semi-correctly presents this classic film. Following a disastrous 1955 premiere run, the movie was shortened from an alleged 140 minute running time. Its complex time-jumping chronology was straightened out, ruining the dramatic effect and artistic integrity of the film. The 1968 edition gives a coherent version of the film as it was meant to be seen.

The Munich Film Museum has restored the film to 116 minutes using several German-language prints. This print shows at the London Film Festival 2002. Points of interest are: restored colour, soundtrack, 2.55 Cinemascope ratio. The actors were French-dubbed but in this version speaks with their own voices. A DVD edition of this restoration would attract world-wide interest from the cineaste community. Further information is available in a recent issue of the UK magazine Sight & Sound.

David Lean:
THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS - an upper-class romantic triangle with interesting time-shifting chronology. Fine performances by Ann Todd, Claude Rains and Trevor Howard. On DVD in Japan.
MADELEINE - In 1830´s Scotland, a woman is accused of murder by poisoning. The verdict: guilt not proven. An underrated Lean film featuring one of Ann Todd´s finest performances.

A few titles I think are public domain:
BARON OF ARIZONA - Samuel Fuller´s first film, a western starring Vincent Price
THE BLACK BOOK - French revolution drama by Anthony Mann
with excellent noir-style photography by John Alton
THE LAST FRONTIER - A Mann western with Victor Mature

Two daring suggestions:
First, a DVD of Abel Gance´s NAPOLEON, in the new Kevin
Brownlow restoration running 333 minutes. Such and edition would be greeted warmly by DVD collectors worldwide.
Second, a DVD of film storyboards for two unrealized David Lean screenplays:
THE LAWBREAKERS + THE LONG ARM - the original two-part
mutiny on the Bounty film
NOSTROMO - a screenplay by Robert Bolt from Joseph
Conrad´s novel
To be combined with Sir David Lean´s own still photographs of the Polynesian Islands and maybe readings from the screenplays

I shall research the Universal library - which I understand also contain Paramount films pre-1950 - and hope I am welcome with a few more suggestions.
S. Andersson
SWEDEN

[Ken Barnes]

Dear Stefan Andersson,

Thanks for that long list of suggestions. You certainly know your movies. I'll be talking with Universal early in the New Year to discuss releasable items.

While one has to accept that the demographics of DVD have not yet fully emerged, there's always room for a little experimentation ( but not much ). The whole point at the moment is to release titles that can make healthy profits.

However, I must say it was pleasant to have my memory jogged by such titles as "The Black Book" ( a terrific Anthony Mann film that was titled "Reign of Terror" in the UK )and "He Ran All The Way" which, I believe, was John Garfield's last film co-starring Shelley Winters.

All of your suggestions have great merit. One of the great pleasures of running this company - and this website - is
in hearing from so many enthusiastic movie buffs.
All I can say is I'll do what I can.

Please do keep in touch

Kind regards
Ken Barnes